What's On Your Wall Wednesday

For my first What's on Your Wall Wednesday hosed by Barb at Grits and Glamour!
http://gritsglamour.blogspot.com/ (If anyone can tell me how to make it link, I would be grateful!!!)
This print hangs in our billiards room. We loved the colors and how it seems to glow with late afternoon sun. We also have a bar in the billiards room, so the cognac theme fits and peacocks are very Victorian.



For my next Tablescape Tuesday, I have set up a table inspired by this print, so stay tuned! Don't forget to visit Barb at http://gritsglamour.blogspot.com/ :D Jewel

Outdoor Wednesday

Since the outdoors right now is a bit bleak, I thought I would share a bit of last Spring this Outdoor Wednesday, hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.
http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

Here is our wisteria arbor in all its glory:






This has been blooming for many years and would qualify for historic status. It divides the line between my neighbors house and ours. It's "babies" try to invade my hedges and yard and require constant upkeep! So it's a Love/Hate relationship. But I have to admit when it's in bloom it is glorious and the scent is heavenly. If it just weren't so invasive!!!!

Happy Outdoor Wednesday! Thanks Susan!

Metamorphosis Monday

For Metamorphosis Monday hosted by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/


Here is my Parlor before renovation:






As you can see, the walls were papered in a dark green and the woodwork was all painted an antique white. We knew the woodwork was originally stained, but some wainscotting in our foyer was added around 1900 and they used pine instead of the oak everywhere else in the house. So, even if we stripped all the woodwork in the house, it would not match. So my handy husband taught himself how to faux grain. Here is the door leading into the parlor grained and the portieres I stitched up. (Yes, they look like Scarlett's!)



One plus was that the floors in this room were in good shape and have extra special inlay.



The Bradbury & Bradbury paper we chose for this room is in an Italiante style of the 1870's. Our house was built in 1883, but still has some Italianate influences. Tastes changed slower in small Southern towns.

Here is the Dado (under the chair rail:



Here is a corner block in the ceiling paper:



Here is a lamp we hung. It was a kerosene burning lamp that had been electrified:



Here is the "finished" room - the quotes are because I don't ever feel finished. I still want to add some window treatments, but don't want to cut out any of the natural light or hide the gorgeous wide window frames and the mantle is still not stripped. But patience is a virtue!!!





Thanks for stopping by and Thanks to Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!

Snowflake Fairy Cakes

For Foodie Friday, I am recycling an old post. Before spring completely is upon us, I wanted to share these snowflake fairy cakes again. Thanks Gollum for hostessing Foodie Friday!
http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2009/02/foodie-friday.html



For my Winter Wonderland themed garden club, I made Magical Christmas Fairy Cakes - Christmas Fairy Cupcakes. I got the recipe from a friend who lives in France on Recipezaar. Here is the link to the recipe

http://www.recipezaar.com/Magical-Christmas-Fairy-Cakes-Christmas-Fairy-Cupcakes-343473


In her pictures, there was an exquisite snowflake she had cut out of fondant. I asked where she got the cutter and she said that they were from England and not available in the US. She is such a sweetheart that she sent me a set of three in differing sizes! In exchange I sent her a cookbook.

The cupcakes, or fairy cakes turned out beautifully and my first attempt at decorating with fondant was a snap!!!! The recipe calls for sprinkling the cupcakes with edible glitter which I found at Michael's.

Here are my pictures:

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Really I'm glad it has stopped and is sunny outside, but it is still COLD! I don't mind the break in the work week it gave, but one day of snow is enough for me!!!!
For my first Outdoor Wednesday, here is my house yesterday afternoon. Snow is rare here, so when it happens, we take a lot of pictures. Historians years from now will think we lived in an Ice Age!!!!!!





Thanks for stopping by!!! Stay warm!!!!

Thanks to Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Hosting!

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

Metamorphosis Monday

For Metamorphosis Monday hosted by Susan (Between Naps on the Porch)
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH: WELCOME TO THE VERY FIRST METAMORPHOSIS MONDAY!

Here is a before picture of a room in our house back when we bought it. My house was built in 1883 and we are renovating it using the US Dept of Interiors guidelines.



After we ripped up the carpet, this is what the floors looked like.



We used Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper which is authentic to the era of our house.
Detail of the border:

Detail of a ceiling corner block:


Here is what the room looks like today!
Our Billiards Room

Tea for Two in Monet's Garden

As part of Tea Time Tuesday, I am recycling an old post. Hope you enjoy it.



As alway, thanks to Barb for hosting Tea Time Tuesday at her wonderful blog, Grits and Glamour. Make sure to visit her and see not only tea posts, but porch party posts as well!

As part of a tablesetting challenge at Recipezaar, I created this tea tablesetting inspired by this print:



Here is my table:













I used blue tulle to represent the water. The tea set is from Ross-Simons.The tea set has colors from the print and the two green vases add a touch of lily pad green. At first I tried to make lotus folded pink napkins, but my pink napkins aren't completely square and I didn't have any starch, so the lotus blossoms were a bit flabby. Then I remembered that I had these circular pink and green paper napkins from Target that I bought on clearance last spring. They add a nice touch also. The plates are from Yankee Candle and I bought them from Bed, Bath & Beyond for 10 cents each a few years back. I suppose they are meant to hold candles, but they don't say that they aren't food safe and they look like plates to me.

I couldn't find anything around the house to represent the periwinkle blue/lavender colors in the print. Those aren't shades I use a lot. On the whole, I am pleased with my effort!

My Winter Wonderland: Barely Blue

I have decided to use this blog to catalog my table settings. The first table of the year is Winter Wonderland: Barely Blue.

I am submitting this for Tablescape Tuesday hosted by Susan (Between Naps on the Porch).
BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH: Tablescape Tuesday
Thanks Susan!



I didn't want all the sparkle to go away after I put up the Christmas decorations, so I decided that I would create a Winter Wonderland of ice and snow. I spay painted limbs silver and used icicle and snowflake ornaments as well as strung acrylic "jewels" in "Barely Blue" shades. I used Tiffany Blue tulle as a table runner over a slightly off-white table cloth and tulle on the mantle. I put blue "marbles" and clear acrylic pieces that look like cracked ice in a vase to hold the limbs.





I put the vase in the center of a silver wreath from Target and filled in the gap between the wreath and the vase with silver and blue Christmas ornaments.

On the mantle, I put limbs in a blue round vase and made a bow from blue and silver sheer ribbon. I hung jewels, icicles and ornaments in silver and blue on the limbs.





Beside the vase I put silver limbs and golden ferns from Target and silver poinsettias and wired pearls from Michaels. At the ends, I used silver mercury glass candle pillars with white fake candles embossed with silver snowflakes.



In the small white vases, I had small silver spray painted limbs with 3 silver ball ornaments.

On the table, I had mercury glass votive holders from Target in silver and icy green/blue, as well as two different types of clear snowflake holders. I also used small blue vases with white silk flower sprays. I also scattered acrylic jewels on the tulle.



At Cracker Barrel a few days after Christmas, I found these plates for 70% off. I originally thought my table would only have blue, silver and white, but these plates in ivory and gold were such a good deal I couldn't pass them up. The gold allowed me to use gold napkins and glassware with both gold and silver embellishment and I used gold and silver chargers. I also found ribbon with golden snowflakes at Michaels for 70% off which I tied for napkin rings.



Before I found the ribbon, I used silver napkin rings.



I will host my garden club on January 20th and use the table as a buffet. I am making cupcakes with fondant snowflakes. I have improvised a cupcake holder/tea tray with two platters and a cake stand from the 70% off Cracker Barrel sale, a flat topped glass bowl and a battery operated tea light.

Flash


No Flash to highlight the "Fire and Ice" effect


Comments and suggestions are welcomed! My table and this blog are a work in progress!